Arts and business news from around the country.

Posted by Jessica Gaines

On October 11th, businesses of all types and sizes will come together for the BCA 10 galaat the Central Park Boathouse in New York to be recognized by Americans for the Arts for their outstanding commitment to the arts.

But WHO are these honorees?

Learn more about their arts partnerships below including corporate performance groups, extensive art exhibits, and some fierce board leadership.

21c Museum Hotels, Louisville, KY

Founded in 2006 by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, the very bedrock of 21c Museum Hotels has been community transformation and economic revitalization through the arts. The business rehabilitates underappreciated properties within urban cores, transforming these buildings into hotel and restaurant spaces with art works from more than 2,500 living established and emerging artists from around the world, available for public view 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 21c Museum Hotels also offers-in kind donations of event space for local and national non-profit arts organizations, hosting 1,500 arts and cultural events in 2016 alone. 21c Museum Hotels was nominated for the BCA 10 by the Fund for the Arts.

Cardinal Health knows that supporting the arts makes communities more attractive to current and future employees, and leverages this knowledge to support the arts. Since 2008 Cardinal Health has donated nearly $8.75 million to arts organizations such as the Dublin Arts Council, Columbus Children’s Theater, and the Lincoln Theater. Cardinal Health advances diversity, equity and inclusion programming through initiatives such as “Shifting Perspectives,” a three-year photographic exploration of individuals living with Down Syndrome. The organization regularly treats employees to free in-office performances and is a key partner in the largest-ever initiative for marketing the arts in Ohio, “Art Makes Columbus/Columbus Makes Art”. Cardinal Health was nominated for the BCA 10 by the Dublin Arts Council.

Guitar Center Inc. sees the arts as a gift to the world. From its inception, it has embodied arts and business partnership through supporting music education and musicians, creating a culture that sustains a love for music. Since 2008, Guitar Center Inc. has donated over $2.5 million to non-profit arts organizations. Further, it regularly provides monetary support and instruments to over 400 schools, music programs, and non-profit organizations each year such as Little Kids Rock, Girls Rock Camp and MusiCares. Employees are even allowed “Gig Leave,” which permits them to continue their love for music through touring with musical acts or performing in solo concerts. Guitar Center Inc. was self-nominated for the BCA 10.

Halekulani Corporation, Honolulu, HI

Halekulani Corporation realizes that investing in the arts supports its business as well as the community – starting from a history patronizing artists since the 17th century all the way to the present day. For the past 20 years, Halekulani Corporation has partnered with Honolulu’s top arts and culture institutions to offer complimentary access to hotel guests, spanning a variety of activities from dance to theater and beyond. Employees have been included in the arts, as well, via an Employee Enrichment Program. Community partners include organizations such as the Honolulu Museum of Art, the Bishop Museum and Iolani Palace. Halekulani Corporation was nominated for the BCA 10 by the Hawaii Arts Alliance.

Houston Methodist is a healthcare organization that has been serving not just the body, but the soul since its origination in 1919. Through its one-of-a-kind Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPMAM) medical facility, it offers specialized care for the needs of performing and visual artists, serving more than 600 artists a year. Houston Methodist is the official health care provider and sponsor to the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony and the Houston Ballet. Employees’ lives are enriched through HR Arts Enrichment classes as well as opportunities to participate in annual photography exhibitions. Houston Methodist was nominated for the BCA 10 by the Houston Grand Opera Association, Inc.

Humana Inc., Louisville, KY

For over 40 years, Humana has seen the arts as an engine for positive impact in economic development, education, and overall quality of life. Humana prioritizes arts-health research through enlisting the support of creative economy producers as resources for advancing Humana’s Bold Goal, which aims to achieve a 20 percent improvement in public health outcomes for Louisville by 2020. Humana serves as a long-term underwriter for the Humana Festival of New American Plays by the Actors Theater of Louisville, and raises money for the Fund for the Arts, contributing over $1.2 million in 2016. Humana was nominated for the BCA 10 by IDEAS xLab and Fund for the Arts.

Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver, CO

Over the past 48 years, Kaiser Permanente Colorado has been invested in the health of its community. The non-profit healthcare organization cultivates community well-being with dedicated support, creating an Arts Integrated Resource Department (AIR) to leverage the arts as a tool for improving educational and health outcomes. It led award-winning theatrical productions and initiatives touching more than 183,000 people in 2014 alone. Kaiser Permanente Colorado has benefited a variety of organizations such as the Denver Art Museum and Denver Botanic Gardens. Employees even promote the arts as a healing power through a company art board. Kaiser Permanente Colorado was nominated for the BCA 10 by the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.

Lincoln Financial Group, Radnor, PA

Lincoln Financial Group supports the arts because it believes they are truly a service to the community – shaping and inspiring young minds, transforming lives and enriching the workplace. The organization has more than 50 years of history supporting the arts, contributing to organizations such as The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and the National Folk Festival. Lincoln Financial Group also houses a corporate art collection featuring over 1,000 unique works. Since 2016, the organization has given more than $23 million to arts nonprofits in key practice locations: Concord, NH; Greensboro, NC; Hartford, CT; Fort Wayne, IN; Omaha, NS; and Philadelphia, PA. Lincoln Financial Group was nominated for the BCA 10 award by ArtsGreensboro.

Magic Hat Brewing Company, Burlington, Vermont

Since its founding in 1994, the Magic Hat Brewing Company has cherished the arts - offering free performance spaces for local theaters and music groups and hosting fundraising events within its on-site beer tasting and art space, Artifactory. The brewery has also supported Vermont’s largest and longest running community arts event, the South End Art Hop, for nearly 25 years, contributing to attracting over 30,000 visitors to Vermont’s South End Arts District with marketing support as well as the Art Hop Ale event. Employees are encouraged to volunteer at least 8 hours on company time, with no upper limit. Magic Hat Brewing Company was nominated for the BCA 10 by the South End Arts & Business Association.

The Betsy-South Beach, Miami, FL

Since its opening in 2009, the Betsy-South Beach has viewed the arts as a central unifier. The Betsy-South Beach has partnered with more than 200 arts organizations and sponsored thousands of events, many of which employees have been given free tickets to attend. As a two-time recipient of the Knight Foundation Art Challenge Grant, it has a national reputation for creating and presenting major cultural programs such as The Betsy’s A Capella Festival, Writers for Young Readers, TRANSART – a program that honors transgender creative voices, and Escribe Aqui/Write Here IberoAmerican Cultural Initiative. The Betsy-South Beach was nominated for the BCA 10 by the Arts & Business Council of Miami.

Raymond J. McGuire is a contemporary art collector, active arts leader and philanthropist who serves as the Global Head of Corporate & Investment banking at Citi. He gives back to the community by serving on numerous boards with organizations such as the Studio Museum in Harlem (Chairman), the De La Salle Academy (Chairman Emeritus) andthe New York Public Library (Executive Committee and Co-Chairman Nominating Committee). He is also an active member of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission, which advises Mayor de Blasio and the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs on issues affecting NYC’s cultural community.

BCA pARTnership AwardUNIQLO and MoMA, New York, NY

UNIQLO and The Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY) – UNIQLO, the global apparel retailer, and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) share a passion for quality, innovation, and spreading the joy of art around the world. With these shared values, UNIQLO has sponsored UNIQLO Free Friday Nights since 2013, providing free access every Friday evening to the Museum’s renowned collection of modern art to more than 1.6 million visitors from around the world. In 2014, UNIQLO first launched ‘SPRZ NY’ (abbreviation for Surprise New York). The product line features ‘MoMA Special Edition’ designs which offers clothing and accessories inspired by artists from the MoMA collection such as Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Yayoi Kusama. UNIQLO continues to launch new ‘MoMA Special Edition’ designs throughout the year and sells them in UNIQLO stores and on uniqlo.com. Additionally, MoMA’s retail channels, including MoMA Design Store and store.moma.org, sell select ‘SPRZ NY’ products.

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